Construction members for swimming pools



Jan. 17, 1967 D. J. OCONNELL ET L 3,293,033

CONSTRUCTION MEMBERS FOR SWIMMING POOLS Filed July 24, 1963 INVENTORS DANIEL J. O'CONNELL ROBERT Q. STOCKH OLM United States Patent 3,298,038 CONSTRUCTION MEMBiljlRS FOR SWIMMING POD Daniel .1. UConnell, Waterford, and Robert Q. Stockholm, Troy, NY, assignors to Troian Pools, llnc., Troy, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 24, 1963, Ser. No. 297,324 8 tClaims. (Cl. 4-172) This invention relates to construction members for use in the construction of swimming pools and with particular reference and use as further improvements of those particular construction members embodied and described in the application of Daniel I. OConnell et al., Serial No. 242,283, for Construction Members for Swimming Pools, and which application was filed in the United States Patent Office on December 4, 1962, now Patent No. 3,142,069.

As an end result of such experimentation, research and development, the petitioners herein. conceived and reduced to practice further improvements of the construction members embodied in the prior application assigned to the common assignee. Needless to say that incorporation of these improvements proved fruitful in the practical phase of such incorporation into the swimming pools constructed and erected thenceforth for the buying public.

The improvements in the construction members relate to the arrangement, disposition and alignment of the bottom channels and bottom corner channels in the skeletonal outline of the swimming pool.

The improvements also relate to the arrangements, disposition and alignment of the top copings and corner copings and the provision of back brace rods in cooperative association with the bottom channels, bottom corner channels, panels, corner panels, top copings and corner copings to effect structural rigidity and strength with respect to the swimming pool walls assembled from the improved construction members while at the same time maintaining the aligned disposition of the top copings and corner copings relative to one another.

What has therefore been achieved by these improvements in the construction members and the addition of the back-brace rods is a swimming pool that can be more quickly assembled with a better assembly of the swimming pool.

The beneficial and improved aspects of this invention along with other beneficial and improved aspects should be discernab-ly appreciated from the detailed specification taken in conjunction with the perspective drawing forming a part of this application.

Reference numeral 1 generally refers to the invention showing a portion of the swimming pool wall.

Bottom channel 3 has a main web 5 with leg flanges 7 upstanding from each terminal portion of main web 5. A channel plate 9 with holes 11 provided therein, as shown, is suitably secured at each end of bottom channel 3. It should be noted that the bottom channel 3 of this invention diflers structurally from the bottom channel 5 of the prior application in that a drift-pin sleeve 13 is suitably secured, such as by welding, to the lateral edge 15 of alternate channel plates 9.

Inclusive of this invention are bottom corner channels that are not shown. The bottom corner channels of this invention differ structurally from the bottom corner channels 3 of the prior application only in that driftpin sleeves are suitably secured, such as by Welding, to the lateral edges of alternate channel plates.

Emplaced in abutting relationship with the main web 5 and flanges 9 of the bottom channel 3 is a panel 17. Each panel 17 comprises two outside-sheets 19 of suitable material such as aluminum with a polystyrene type of head board 21 such as known by the trademark Styro- 3,298,038 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 foam sandwiched between the sheets 19 bonded to the interior thereof. The panel 17 is structurally the same as the panel 15 of the prior application.

Inclusive of this invention are comer panels that are not shown. The corner panels of this invention are structurally the same as the corner panels 31 of the prior application.

Inclusive of this invention are the panel joiners that are not shown. The panel joiners of the invention are structurally the same as the panel. joiners 27 of the prior application.

Disposed at the top of panel 17 is a top coping 23 having a top rail 25 arcuately configured at one end and arcuately configured at the other end in the form of the nose cove 27. Suitably secured to the underside of the top rail 25 is a main web 29. The end of nose cove 27 is suitably secured to the end of one of the leg flanges 31, as shown. The leg flanges 31 depend from each terminal portion of the main web 29. Secured at each end of the top coping 23 and to the underside of the top rail 25 and to the other one of the leg flanges 31 is a plate 33 with one hole 35 and two slotted openings 37 therein provided, as shown.

Inclusive of this invention are corner copings that are not shown. The corner copings of this invention differ structurally from the corner copings 47 of the prior application only in that two slotted openings are provided in place and stead of two of the three holes provided in the plates. The arrangement and disposition of the one hole and two slotted openings of each plate is the same as the arrangement and disposition of the hole 35 and slotted openings in the plate 33 of the top coping 23 of this invention.

A back-brace rod 39 having stud portions 41 normal to the terminal portion of the back-brace rod 39 are shown disposed through the hole 11 of bottom channel 3 and the hole 35 of top coping 23 and secured therewith by nuts 43 engaged with the stud portions 41 of the back-brace rod 39.

The back-brace rods 39 are further utilized with the assembly of the bottom corner channels, corner panels and corner copings of this invention that are not shown.

The bottom channels 3, panels 17 and top copings 23 are dimensionally of the same length; and the bottom corner channels, corner panels and corner copings are dimensionally of the same length.

In the construction and erection of the walls of the swimming pool, the procedure and sequence follow the same procedure and sequence as set forth in the prior application.

The bottom channels and bottom corner channels are laid out and secured together thereafter at their channel plates by bolting same together. The provision of the drift-pin sleeves allows arrangement, disposition and alignment of the channels in the first instance and prior to securing same together. Utilized with each drift-pin sleeve 13 is a twenty inch drift pin 45 to anchor each bottom channel and bottom corner channel to the ground.

It should be appreciated that the use of the drift-pins 45 and drift-pin sleeves 13 facilitates the formation of the skeletonal outline of the swimming pool by the feature of anchoring the bottom channels and bottom corner channels to the ground as same are arranged and disposed. The anchoring feature also facilitates the emplacement of the panels in the channels and the securing together of the panels because it is difiicult to cause and effect upward movement of a channel anchored to the ground upon emplacement and alignment of the panels within the channels.

The slotted openings in the copings permit the insertion of a tool of complemental cross sectional configuration therethrough to effect thereby alignment of the top portions of the copings with one another.

Hence, the top portions of the copings will be level with respect to one another. This beneficial aspect of an even surface of the copings around the swimming pool is highly desirable with the added safety feature that the smooth surface of the copingswill not permit of the stubbing of the toes of the users or otherwise tripping of the users which arise when the coping surface is uneven.

By utilizing the back-brace rods and nuts to secure same to the channels and copings not only are strength and structural rigidity imparted to the swimming pool assembly of the channels, panels and copings, but also the smooth surface of the copings is maintained.

Having thusly described our invention, We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. Construction members for construction and erection of the Walls of a swimming pool.comprising bottom corner channels, bottom channels, corner panels, panels, longitudinal panel joiners, corner copings, top copings, and back brace rods; said bottom corner channels and bottom channels having integral channel plates for securing same together, said channels having main webs and upstanding flanges to receive said corner panels and panels, respectively, forming by such assembly the walls of the said swimming pool, and said channel plates carrying drift-pin sleeves for utilization with drift pins for purposes of anchoring the channels to the ground in the formation of the skeletonal outline of the swimming pool; said panels having outside sheets sandwiching therebetween polystyrene type plastic bead boards, each outside sheet of each of said panels having an inturned flange at the top and bottom portion thereof with the lateral portions of each outside sheet formed as flanges with inwardly flared lip portions; in assembly of said panels to form the walls of the swimming pool the lateral portions of adjacently disposed sheets having their flanges in abutting relationship; said longitudinal panel joiners having inturned lip portions for disposition internally of adjacent sheets, and securing together of same by engagement of the inturned lip portions of said panel joiners with the inwardly flared lip portions of said outside sheet; said corner copings and top copings having main webs and depending leg flanges for emplacement on the panels and in abutting relationship with the inturned flanges at the top of said sheets, said copings having integral plates for securing same together, each of said integral plates having at least one slotted opening and a hole formed therein, said slotted openings permitting the copings to be aligned with the top portions of the copings level with one another by insertion of a tool, complemental to the slotted openings in cross sectional configuration, through the slotted openings; each of said back-brace rods having stud portions normal therewith, each of said stud portions being inserted through a hole formed in the channel plate of each channel and through said hole in each plate of each coping, said back-brace rods being secured to the channels and copings by nuts engaged with the stud portions thereby imparting strength and structural rigidity to the entire swimming pool as assembled.

2. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bottom corner channels comprise bottom channels arranged normal to each other and thereat suitably secured together.

3. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein each bottom channel has a main web with leg flanges upstanding from each terminal end portion of said web.

4. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein each channel has a channel plate provided at each end thereof with holes provided therein to permit plates of adjacently disposed channels to be bolted together.

5. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corner panels comprise two panels arranged normal to each other and thereat bolted together.

6. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said corner copings comprise two top copings arranged normal to each other and thereat suitably secured together.

7. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein each top coping has a top rail arcuately configured at one end and at the other end arcuately configured in the form of the nose cove.

8. The subject matter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said copings are coated with a suitable plastic such that when said copings are emplaced on said panels an interference fit is achieved thereby and with said plastic coating also functioning as a shock absorber upon lateral movement of said panels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,864,098 12/1958 Lorimer 4-172 2,869,140 1/1959 Wiedemann 4-1 2,869,336 1/1959 Smidl et al. 62465 3,142,069 7/1964 OConnell 4172 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. CONSTRUCTION MEMBERS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND ERECTION OF THE WALLS OF A SWIMMING POOL COMPRISING BOTTOM CORNER CHANNELS, BOTTOM CHANNELS, CORNER PANELS, PANELS, LONGITUDINAL PANEL JOINERS, CORNER COPINGS, TOP COPINGS, AND BACK BRACE RODS; SAID BOTTOM CORNER CHANNELS AND BOTTOM CHANNELS HAVING INTEGRAL CHANNEL PLATES FOR SECURING SAME TOGETHER, SAID CHANNELS HAVING MAIN WEBS AND UPSTANDING FLANGES TO RECEIVE SAID CORNER PANELS AND PANELS, RESPECTIVELY, FORMING BY SUCH ASSEMBLY THE WALLS OF THE SAID SWIMMING POOL, AND SAID CHANNEL PLATES CARRYING DRIFT-PIN SLEEVES FOR UTILIZATION WITH DRIFT PINS FOR PURPOSES OF ANCHORING THE CHANNELS OF THE GROUND IN THE FORMATION OF THE SKELETONAL OUTLINE OF THE SWIMMING POOL; SAID PANELS HAVING OUTSIDE SHEETS SANDWICHING THEREBETWEEN POLYSTYRENE TYPE PLASTIC BEAD BOARDS, EACH OUTSIDE SHEET OF EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING AN INTURNED FLANGE AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM PORTION THEREOF WITH THE LATERAL PORTIONS OF EACH OUTSIDE SHEET FORMED AS FLANGES WITH INWARDLY FLARED LIP PORTIONS; IN ASSEMBLY OF SAID PANELS TO FORM THE WALLS OF THE SWIMMING POOL THE LATERAL PORTIONS OF ADJACENTLY DISPOSED SHEETS HAVING THEIR FLANGES IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP; AND LONGITUDINAL PANEL JOINERS HAVING INTURNED LIP PORTIONS FOR DISPOSITION INTERNAL OF 